Wire-edged container and closure therefor



March 10, 1931. .1. M. HOTHERSALL 1,795,439

WIRE EDGED CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed Dec. 10, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS March 10, 1931. J HQTHER'SALL1,795,489

WIRE EDGED CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed Dec. 10 925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR MrW ATTORN EY Patented Mar. 10, 1931 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN M. I-IOTHERSALL, oE BROOKLYN, new YORK,essrcnon T AMERICAN CAN COMP/ANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 01*NEW JERSEY WIRE-EDGEIO CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Application filedDecember lO, 1925. Serial No. 74,436.

My invention relates to containers, preferably of the type having acurled or false wire edge at the mouth thereof, and to closures for suchcontainers.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved closingmember for attaching a loosely positioned cover to a can body, which maybe applied by simple and inexpensive machinery and which,

though providing a tight and effective seal, may be easily andconveniently removed by hand toi'open the container and without bendingor mutilating the can body.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a one-piecesealing or closing member which is constructed and arranged to'tbeeasily removed from the can body and replaced as a temporary closureafter the can has once been opened.

The closing member of my invention preferably has a curled edge adaptedto be forced into sealing engagement with the rolled edge of the canbody in the attaching operation and an important feature of theconstruction is that the curled edge is split at one or more places,which serves the double purpose of facilitating removal and providingflexibility as the gripping edge of the closure is contracted in theattaching operation, thereby increasing the tension of said edge andtightly clamping the cover to the can body.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it isbetter understood from the following description, which, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, discloses preferredembodiments thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is-a perspective view of my im proved cover:

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the can body,

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view showing the rolled edge of the coverprior to being unrolled into sealing position;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the curled edge unrolled and in sealingposition;

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view of a modification'of my inventionshowing the curled -edge before being forced into sealing position overthe rolled edge of the can body, and

Fig. 6 is a corresponding view showing the curled edge forced intosealing position. Referring now to the drawings in detail asillustrating one or more of the preferred means in which Thave thus farcontemplated wire 2 when the cover is applied with considerablepressure.

The cover 5 is formed with a vertical wall or shoulder 6 adapted to belocated within the body wall 7, and this vertical wall 6 extends into acircumferential flange 8 adapted to rest upon the top of the false wire3 and is returned upon itself, as at 9, a gasket or any suitable sealingmedium 10 being provided if desired.

In accordance with my improved invention, this circumferential flange 8of the cover is constructed and arranged to cooperate with the wire edgeof the can body so that the cover can be forced into gripping andsealing contact with the can body and can likewise be easily and quicklyremoved therefrom and thereafter reapplied as a. temporary closure, allwithout mutilating the can body. To this end the flange 8, is formedwith an outwardly and tightly curled edge 11, as shown in Fig. 3 ofthedrawings, and in addition the flange 8 is provided with one or moreslits12, preferably spaced equi-distant circumfcrentially about the peripheryof the flange and extending from the free edge of. the flange tosubstantially near the end thereof, but not quite to the top, asindicated at 13, whereby to give the cover suliicient flexibility inapplying and removing the cover.

In applying the cover to the can body, the cover is placed in positionand the tightly rolled edge 11 is partially unrolled and positivelypositioned beneath the curl of the body as indicated in Fig. 4 of thedrawing.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a modification of the closure. In this form thecurl 14 is I'm-med on the inside of flange 15 ot' the cover 16 and ismerely forced over into locking position with the false wire 17 of thecan body as indicated fully in Fig. (3 of the drawings.

\Vhile I refer to the invention as being applied to a metal containerwith a rolled upper edge, it should be understood that the invention isequally well adapted to a container made of glass or similar materialhaving its upper edge formed into a projecting flange.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be.apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a. preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In combination, a container having a retaining portion at the topthereof, a cover arrangeable upon said body and having a flangearrangeable over said retaining portion, said cover flange having aperipheral rolled edge adapted to be partially unrolled by pressurethereon to dispose it in sealing engagement with the retaining portionof the body.

2. In combination, a container having a retaining portion at the topthereof, a cover arrangeable upon said body and having a countersinkdisposed within the mouth of said retaining portion and a flangearrangeable over said retaining portion, said cover flange terminatingin a rolled edge adapted to be partially unrolled by pressure thereon todispose it in sealing engagement with said retaining portion of thebody.

3. In combination, a container having a rolled flange at the topthereof, a cover arrangeable upon said body and having a countersinkdisposable within the mouth of said rolled flange, said cover having aninverted substantially U-shaped flange arrangeable on said rolled flangeand provided with a peripheral rolled edge split at spaced intervals,said rolled edge being adapted to be partially unrollcd to cause it tomove inwardly beneath the rolled flange of the body to detachably holdthe cover in place.

4. A container closure having in combination a body having its mouthformed with an outwardly, downwardly and inwardly rolled hollow lip thelower terminal part of which is substantially horizontal, and a coverhaving a shoulder engaging within the inner wall of said hollow lip andhaving a circumferential flange which extends outward over the top ofsaid lip and downward on the outer side thereof, the edge of said flangehaving a curl which is forced inward under said lip and near to thelower part of said shoulder.

5. A container closure having in combination a body having its mouthformed with an outwardly, downwardly and inwardly rolled hollow lip thelower terminal part of which is substantially horizontal and is bracedagainst the body to prevent collapse of said lip when the cover isapplied with pressure, and a cover having a shoulder engaging within theinner wall of said hollow lip and having a circun'iferential flangewhich extends outward over the top of said lip and downward on the outerside thereof, the edge of said flange having a curl Which is forcedinward under said lip and towards said shoulder.

JOHN M. HOTHERSALL.

